Fastening means for articles of personal wear



May 22, 1934. QTTINGER 1,960,165

FASTENING MEANS FOR ARTICLES OF PERSONAL WEAR Filed Jan. 26, 1934 INVE NT R Na Zizazz 02254961:

g 111;; A NEY ihitenieri May 22, 1334 FASTENING MEANS FOR ARTICLES OF PERSONAL Nathan Ottinger, New York, N. Y.

Application January 26, 1934, Serial No. 708,382

6 Claims. (Cl. 36-50) This invention relates to fastening means for articles of personal wear, such as shoes, gloves, shirt cuffs, trousers and the like, and has for its primary object and purpose to provide a fastener 3 of this character in which the use of metallic elements of any kind may be avoided, and is of such construction as to enable the fastening and unfastening operations to be easily and quickly performed.

It is another object of the invention to provide a fastener of this character which permits a certain amount of relative adjustment or expansion of the connected parts of the article, with the assurance of adequate security in the connection.

A further object of the invention resides in the provision of such a fastening means which will be inexpensive and durable, and also materially panying drawing, and subsequently incorporated in the subjoined claims.

In the drawing wherein I have illustrated several simple and practical embodiments of the invention, and in which similar reference characters designate similar parts throughout the several views;

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a shoe provided with one embodiment of my invention, the fastening means therefor being open.

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the fastening means closed.

Fig. 3 is a detail section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a detail fragmentary elevation showing a slight modification, and a Fig. 5 is a section of said modification, similar to Fig. 3, illustrating an intermediate position of the parts in opening or closing the fastener.

In the illustrative example, wherein I have shown my invention applied to one type of shoe, the body of the shoe is of standard or conven tional construction, and it will become apparent, as this description proceeds, that in addition to the ordinary walking shoe, my improved fastener may also be used to advantage upon' slippers, bathing shoes, tennis shoes and the like, as well as other articles of personal wear, such as trousers, shirt cuffs, gloves and in other cases where an inexpensive, easily operable fastener of neat appearance is desirable.

Referring now in detail to the drawing, to one side portion 5 of the shoe upper which extends over the instep, a strip of leather or other flexible material 6 issecured along the longitudinal and upper and edges of said portion 5, preferably by the line of stitching indicated at 7. The strip 6 preferably is of gradually increasing width from its front to its rear endandthe other longitudinal edge thereof is free or unattached to the shoe upper to form the open side of an elongated pocket 8. The front end of the strip 6 is secured by the stitching 9 connecting the shoe upper ation of the instep portion of the shoe upper or maybe attached thereto as a separate part.

In either event it is of soft, pliable material and of sufficient length to completely overlap the pocket forming strip 6. Along the free end edge of said extension and to the underside thereof a fastening tongue 12 is secured at its outer longitudinal edge, by the line of stitching 13, and is free-or unattached to said, extension along its inner and opposite end edges. This tongue likewise graduallyincreases in width from front to rear and is formed of leather or other flexible material, somewhat stiffer than the extension 11, but capable of freely flexing or bending both longitudinally and transversely thereof.

From the above it will be readily seen that after the foot has been inserted into the shoe,

' in order to securely fasten the shoe, it is only so that the latter may then be moved transversely and substantially fully enclosed in said pocket,

while the extension 11 is superimposed upon and entirely conceals the strip 6. The tongue 12 is of such width and the pocket 8 of such depth that the fastener will automatically accommodate itself to a'high or low instep, and also permit of relative movements of the upper sections of the shoe in walking, without liability of releasing the fastener connection.

Thus, it will be appreciated, that my improved fastening means is conducive to maximum comfort to the wearer, and also adds to the neat appearance of the shoe, while obviating accidental opening of the shoe, which-results from the breaking of a lace or,the detachment of buttons. Since, when the fastener is open, the opposed edges of the upper sections are entirely disconnected, the foot may be easily inserted into or removed from the shoe.

In removing the shoe from the foot, the fastener is easily released by merely grasping the connected edges of the tongue 12 and extension 11 between the thumb and forefinger and pulling the tongue outwardly from the pocket 8, such operation being facilitatedby the relative flexing the tongue and the strip 6,

However, as illustrated in'Figs. 4 and 5 of the drawing, if desired, for this purpose, an. ornamental ilnger tab 14 may be attached at one of its ends, as at 'I5, to the inner. free edge of the tongue 12. This tab projects transversely beyond the end of the extension 11 sufllciently to enable the same to be securely grasped. Thus the outward pull will be'applled directly to the inner free edge of the tongue 12 within. the pocket 8, to thereby facilitate the easy and quick release of the fastener and the opening of, the shoe. a

From the foregoing description considered in connection-with the accompanying drawing, it will be seen that I provide a simple, durable and easily operable fastening means for shoes and other articles of personal wear, which eliminates the use of buttons, button-holes, laces and eyelets, or other metallic fastener elements. Therefore, in different applications to various articles of dress or apparel, my invention, being free of unsightly laces, buttons, ormetallic. parts of any kind, will materially enhance the neat appearance of the wearer.

I have herein described an embodiment of the inventionwhich has been found very satisfactory in practical use. It is, nevertheless, to .be understood that the essential features thereof are susceptible of exempliflcation in various other structural forms. Accordingly, theprivilege is reserved of adopting all such legitimate modifications in the form, construction and relative arrangement of the several parts as may be fairly considered within the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

I claim:

' 1. An article, of personal wear having parts adapted to be connected to retain-said article upon the person, a permanent pocket on the external surface'of one of said parts closed at its opposite ends, a flexible extension on the other of said parts, and a tongue carried by said extension, of substantially the same dimensions as said pocket, and manipulable with and relative to said extension, for insertion into said pocket, said tongue and pocket constituting the sole means to yieldably secure said extension in closely superimposed relation upon the wall of said pocket.

2. An article of personal wear having parts adapted to be connected to retain said article upon the person, a permanent pocket on the external surface of one of said parts closed at its opposite ends, a flexible extension on the other of ternal surface of one of said parts closed at its opposite ends, a flexible extension on the other of said parts, and a tongue of relatively stiff material, connected to the free end edge of said extension, extending inwardly therefrom upon one side of said extension, and manipulable relative to the latter for insertion into said pocket, said tongue and pocket constituting the sole means to yieldably secure said extension in'close- 1y superimposed relation upon the wall of said pocket.

4. An article of personal wear having parts of flexible material adapted to be connected to retain said article upon the person, a flexible strip, tapering in width from one end to the other,

secured at its opposite ends to one of said parts -therefrom on one side of the extension, said tongue being of relatively stiff material, substantially of equal dimensions with said pocket, and manipulable with respect to the extension for insertion into said pocket, said tongue and pocket oonstituting the sole means to yieldably secure said extension in closely superimposed relation upon the wall of said pocket.

5. An article of footwear having flexible upper sections, transversely adjustable towards and from each other, fastening means for releasably connecting said upper sections with each other, said means comprising an elongated permanent pocket extending longitudinally along the inner edge of one of said upper sections and gradually increasing in depth from its front to its rear end, said pocket being open along the outer side thereof, an extension on the other upper section, adapted to overlap and completely conceal said pocket, and means carried by said extension on the underside thereof, and manipulable with respect thereto for insertioninto said pocket, to

conflne said extension in yieldable, self-adjusting, superimposed relation to the wall of said pocket. 6. An article of personal wear having parts adapted to be connected to retain said article upon the person, a permanent pocket on the external surface of one of said parts closed at its opposite ends, a tongue and means constituting a reinforcing connection between one ed e of saidltongue and a free edge of the other of said part8, said tongue extending inwardly from said connection upon one side of the latter part and angularly movable relative to said part for insertion into said pocket, and a flnger tab secured at one of its ends to the free inner edge of said tongue and projecting transversely beyond said reinforcing connection.

- NATHAN O'I'I'INGER. 

